Heretofore there have been many different types of apparatus provided for packaging articles and the soft drink and beverage industry as a whole has been particularly active in the design and production of various types of apparatus for processing a stream of abutted articles by arranging such articles into groups for filling cases, which article groups are collected upon a grid adapted to drop the articles through it into a case provided on a case lift mechanism positioned below the grid. The case lift mechanism is adapted to receive an empty case thereon, lift the empty case, have the group of articles on the grid released for deposit into the case, the grid lift or case lift mechanism is lowered, the filled case is removed from the lift apparatus, and the cycle is then repeated. Naturally these article grouping actions must be performed rapidly. It is very desirable in the art that compact apparatus be provided and that the apparatus function efficiently and rapidly for maximum safe processing of large numers of articles in a minimum amount of time. Various types of case lift apparatus have been provided heretofore and one commercial construction on the case lift means is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 26,906. A typical structure is covered in U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,071 for grouping the articles; dropping the articles down through a grid on the apparatus for receipt into an empty case positioned below the case filling area of the machine.
In this group packaging of articles, naturally it is desirable that the articles be processed safely and efficiently. While other types of apparatus have been provided, the present invention particularly relates to the type of apparatus wherein an empty case is fed to a case lift mechanism, the left mechanism is actuated to move it and the case to an upper position, the articles are dropped down into the case, the filled case is lowered and is discharged, or outfed from the case lift platform. Since speed is so desirable in apparatus of this type, I have now found a way to reduce the overall time cycle involved for the case lift apparatus including receipt of an empty case thereon, raising the case for article filling action, lowering the case and discharging the case.